Justice Minister issues scathing response to BASL President

Justice Minister Thalatha Athukorale today strongly denied the claims made by the BASL President Kalinga Indatissa that she has no objections to establishing a branch of the American Bar Association or any affiliated institutions in Sri Lanka. 

Issuing a statement in response to certain comments made by the President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), during a discussion with Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa on July 05, the minister said that this statement is completely false.

Athukorale said that as the subject minister she has not granted permission for any such institution to be established in Sri Lanka.

She claimed that the BASL President has presented false information to the Opposition Leader without even inquiring from the country’s President, the Prime Minister or herself, the Minister of Justice, regarding the matter and that this goes to show he has harmed the long-standing reputation of the Bar Association for his narrow political objectives.

The minister further charged that as the President of the Bar Association, President’s Counsel Kalinga Indatissa has undermined the entire Bar Association by making such ‘false statements’ without making any inquiries.

She said that such false statements deceive the masses and that once it is proven that these facts are incorrect, the people will lose their long-standing trust on the BASL.

Athukorale said she can responsibly state that the President, Prime Minister and the government including herself as citizens of Sri Lanka will not carry out any activity that would be detrimental to the country in any way.